PENTAX AF 240FT AUTOMATIC ELECTRONIC FLASH UNIT Cacss reasSpecifically designed for use with the Pentax SFX/SF1 camera, the AF240FT is an excellent clip-on type flash unit with a Guide Number of 24 with ISO 100 film in meters, enabling you to perform daylight sync flash photography so easily in the TTL Auto Flash mode. Its unique, built-in AF Spotbeam Projector also enables you to focus even in the dark. Please read this manual carefully so that you can always operate the unit properly, making the most of the features and functions this flash unit has to offer.CONTENTS. Description of operating parts Battery loading Batteries Control panel display Mounting to camera/Setting calculator board Applicable lenses and flash-coverage warning Flash/Camera combination TTLauto flash ‘Manual flash Daylight syne flash Trailing curtain syne flash ~ ‘Twin-flash/Slow-speed-sync photography, etc. AF Spotbeam Specifications How to use wide-angle & telephoto adapters Hot-shoe adapter F and Syne cord Fm Photographable distance range table Operational precautions ~~ Red-eye phenomenonDESCRIPTION OF OPERATING PARTS Adapter groove Flash head. Battery-chamber cover Bes AF240FT 5P-syne-cord socket AF spotbeam projector Flash-signal contacts 2 Wide-angle adapter FWB (optional) Telephoto adapter FT (optional)8898688898 000000000 Aperture scale Distance scale Film-speed scale Flash-coverage-warning lamp ‘Trailing-curtain-syne lamp Leading/trailing-curtain-syne switch TTLlamp Control switch Control panel Calculator board Film-speed-set lever TTLauto check lamp READY lamp TEST button Power-OK lamp Power switch/AF spotbeam switch Fastening knob Hot-shoe bracketBATTERY LOADING 1 2 3 1. To open the battery-chamber cover, slide it in 3. As you turn on the power, the power-OK lamp the direction of the arrow, as illustrated, will be on, and a few seconds later, the READY 2. Insert four AA-size batteries into the battery lamp will be on indicating that the battery chamber, with their (+) (-) sides placed charge is complete. As you press the TEST correctly as shown inside the chamber, and button at this point, the flash will fire. replace the cover. When the flash is mounted on the SFX/SF1, Dress the TEST button with the camera's main switch turned off. If the main switch on, the flash will not fire.BATTERIES This flash unit is powered by four AA-size ALKALINE, MANGANESE or NI-CD batteries. {NiCd batteries need a charger available locally.) The flash recycle time is about eight seconds with fresh manganese batteries, about four seconds with alkaline batteries, and about three seconds with NiCd batteries. If it takes more than 30 seconds, the batteries should be replaced with ‘the new ones. ‘If the power-OK lamp does not light es you turn on the power, try to change the +/~ position of ‘the batteries or use fresh batteries. ‘¢ When loading batteries, the +/- posi correct as indicated inside the battery housing. Otherwise, such might cause leakage of chemical, battery heating or explosion. ‘¢ When changing batteries, all 4 should be changed with batteries of the same kind. Never try to mix used batteries with fresh ones. ‘© Do not leave batteries in the flash unit too long you are not using the flash. Old batteries may corrode or leak chemical, which might damage tthe flash. © The battery performance will go down in extremely cold ry to keep them warm.CONTROL PANEL DISPLAY As you mount this flash unit onto the SFX/SF1 and lightly press the shutter button, various, activating signals are sent out through the camera/ flash contacts. 6 © POWER.OK LAMP This will be ON when the power or the spot- beam (SB) is ON, indicating that the batteries are OK. @ READY LAMP ‘The READY lamp will be ON when the battery charge is complete a few seconds after the power switch-on, making the flash ready for firing. Try to start using the flash a few seconds after, this light is turned on, instead of immediately thereafter. @ TTL AUTO CHECK LAMP (A. CHECK) ‘Same as the auto check lamp inside the view finder, this green lamp will be turned on for about 2 seconds when the flash light has Properly reached the subject in TTL flash mode. (Page 11)© TTL AUTO LAMP This will be ON when the switch is turned to TTL AUTO. (Page 11) © TRAILING CURTAIN SYNC LAMP [1> 5] This lamp will be turned ON when you turn. the leading/trailing curtain sync switch to the trailing curtain sync and lightly press the shutter button, (Page 17) @ FLASH-COVERAGE WARNING LAMP (FL. cov.) When a Pentax-F lens whose angle of view is wider than the flash-coverage angle of this unit, is used, this lamp flickers as a warning. QUICK POWER-ON/AUTO POWER-OFF When this flash is kept. powered on for about & minutes, its power saver function: starts ‘working, and automatically turns off the pow- er. Turn on the power switch again to turn it ‘on. (When it is mounted on the SFX/SF1, ightly press the shutter button to turn on the power.)MOUNTING TO CAMERA/SETTING CALCULATOR BOARD 1 2 ‘Mounting to camera body 1. Remove the hot-shoe cover on the SFX/SF1. 2. Insert the hot-shoe bracket into the hot shoe, and tighten the fastening knob by turning it toward [FIX]. To remove, take the reverse procedure. ¢ Be sure to hold the lower portion of the flash body when mounting or dismounting it. Move the film-speed-set lever and set the film speed against the white index mark. Windex = When the wide-angle adapter is used Tindex = When the telephoto adapter is used © The calculator board merely serves for checking the flash distance range, and has no electrical connections.APPLICABLE LENSES AND FLASH-COVERAGE WARNING Applicable lenses ‘The flash-coverage angle of the AF240FT is wide enough to cover the angle of view of wide-angle lenses up to 35mm. When using a wider-angle lens ‘of 28mm or a telephoto of 85mm or longer, combine the wide-angle adapter (FWB) or telephoto adapter (FT) available as optional accessories. (See Page 24) Flash-coverage warning When the angle of view of the Pentax-F lens used is wider than the flash-coverage angle, the flash ‘coverage warning lamp flickers as you depress the SFX/SF1's shutter button halfway down. If, regardless of the warning, the shutter is released, a picture with darkened corners or edge will be taken because the flash does not fully illuminate the entire picture area, In such a case, attach the wide-angle adapter or detach the telephoto. adapter, or change the focal length of the lens in use (when, for example, using the 28mm focal length of the Pentax-F zoom lens without using ‘the wide-angle adapter). Wide-angle adapter (FWB) in useFLASH/CAMERA COMBINATION With the AF400FTZ mounted on the SFX/SF1, the following “dedicated” functions will be in operation. When it is mounted on other PENTAX cameras, these “dedicated” functions will not work. CAUTION Avoid using this flash on other manufacturer's cameras with an electronic flash contact outside of the hot shoe contact, as it may damage the camera's electronics or it may result in an erroneous operation. Dedicated Functions with SFX/SF1 ‘The TTL Auto Flash system measures the existing light coming in through the lens and felling on the film plane of the camera right up to the instant of exposure and auto- matically controls the light output of the flash unit. Since it measures only the light reflected from the subject, correct flash exposure is always assured, TTL AUTO FLASH MANUAL FLASH Programmed flash * Trailing curtain flash syne Slow speed flash syne Auto switch to X shutter speed Flash ready display in finder TTL auto check in AF spotbeam ©000000 ox000xx “Aperture and shutter speeds vary according to the brightness of subjects. 10TTL AUTO FLASH vera esa Ce os eT ee mia addi i In combination with SFX/SF1, TTL auto flash is available within the film speed range of {SO 25~ 1600. 1, Turn on the camera's main switch. 2. Turn on the flash power. 3. Turn the switch lever to TTL AUTO. The TTL lamp will be lighted. 4. Set the leading/trailing curtain syne switch to the leading curtain syne [$9] or the trailing curtain syne (1P 5]. (Refer to page 17.) 5, Make sure that the READY lamp is on before taking pictures. 6. When a proper exposure has been made, the [ 4 ] mark inside the finder will flicker several times and the A. CHECK lamp on the back of the flash unit will be on for about 2 seconds. 7. If these lamps are not lighted, the flash illumination was not sufficient. Get closer to the subject and/or change the aperture setting. ‘* If, on the other hand, you are too close to the subject, you will not get proper exposure ‘even though these lights will be on. Check the calculator board for proper exposure settings. (Page 12] "Determining Photographable Distance from Calculator Board ‘As shown above, when 1SO 100 film is used and the aperture is set at £/4, the maximum photo- grephable distance is 6 meters (20 ft.). Furthermore, the minimum photographable distance can be obtained by dividing the maximum, photographable distance by 6, viz., 6m =6 = 1 meter. # Also refer to PHOTOGRAPHABLE DISTANCE. RANGE TABLE on page 27. 12 When the Lens Aperture Is Set at “A” With the AF240FT mounted on SFX/SF1, you can ‘command a programmed flash photography in combination with Pentax-F or -A lenses. Depending upon the light intensity of the subject, the flash syne speeds (1/60~1/100 sec.) and the aperture settings (f/28~f/11/1SO 100) will change aut: matically, making this highly suitable for dayl in flash. (See page 16) When the Lens Aperture Is Set Other Than at “A” When you set the camera in the Aperture-Priority AE or Metered Manual mode, you have the command of TTL auto flash photography with the depth of field as the priority. Furthermore, in the Metered Manual mode, slow speed flash is also possible. (See page 18)COMBINATION OF SFX/SF1 EXPOSURE MODES AND AF240FT ‘Shutter speeds Camera's exposure mode Flash’s mode Leeding Slow speed syne syne Programmed AE © Tt T760~17100 1760 x Shutter Priority AE = Te T760=77100 1760 x ‘AperturePriority AE ® TTL 1/60~17100 1766 x Metered Manual TTL/Manual_| 17100 or slower | 1760 or slower o Bulb setting TTL Manual 5 8 x Xsyne TTL/Manwal 700 1760 x Even when the flash is set in the Manual mode, it will autom: ically switch to TTL-Auto flash mode, @ In the case of Trailing Curtain Sync, even when the flash is set in the Manual mode, it will automatically switch to TTL-Auto flash mode. 13MANUAL FLASH When the SFX/SF1 is set in the Metered Manual ‘mode, you can control manual flash photography by adjusting the combination of the distance and the aperture. Slow speed flash is also possible in manual flash. There are two switchable flash light ranges (High and Low) with the L guide number corresponding to 1/4 of H. Guide Number Table (m) tso_[ 50 | 100 | 200 | 400 7 | 24 | 34 | 48 u_ [| 42 6 [ses | 12‘Switching “H” and “L” 1, Turn the switch to either MANU H or L. 2. From the calculator board, get the com! of the exposure distance and the aperture. For ‘the H range, use the meters of the lower white scale, and the meters of the upper yellow scale for the L scale, For example, with 1SO 100 and at a distance of 4m, set the lens aperture to £/8 at the H range and f/2 at the L range. 3. Turn on the power, and as soon as the READY lamp is ON, you are ready to start shooting. Guide Number (GN) This indicates the flash light intensity, The larger this number, the farther you can reach with your flash, From this guide number, you ‘can easily obtain the proper aperture number for the optimum exposure: No, = GN + shooting distance: (mn) (GN 24 + 3m=f/8) Pree eeye) ener An it / 15DAYLIGHT SYNC FLASH Daylight sync flash used Hf you are photographing against light or a bright window behind your subject, your subject will be under-exposed and appear dark in pictures if you expose according to the camera's exposure system. To compensate for this lack of exposure on your subject, your subject should be additionally illuminated to be balanced against the backlight. The daylight flash is used for this purpose, and the programmed flash is what you need. © Ina very bright spot, the flash may not fire. To make sure that the flash will fire, use manual flash mode. 16 :‘TRAILING CURTAIN SYNC FLASH Trailing curtain sync flash used In normal electronic flash, the flash is fired at the instant of the completion of the travel of the first shutter curtain, and this is the leading curtain syne flash. In the trailing curtain syne flash, the flash is fired at the instant of the beginning of the travel of the second curtain, and this flash mode is very helpful in freezing moving subjects. ‘As you lightly press the shutter release, after ‘turning the leading/trailing curtain syne switch to the trailing curtain syne, the trailing curtain sync lamp will be lighted. When pre-set in manual mode, it will be automatically changed to TTL auto flash. © The built-in flash of SFX/SF1 does not have ‘the trailing curtain syne mode, and does not co-work with the AF240FT. v7‘TWIN-FLASH/SLOW-SPEED-SYNC PHOTOGRAPHY, ETC. Twin Flash ‘Twin flash photography will be under your control with the AF240FT in combination with the built in flash of SFX/SF1. A twin TTL auto flash will be very simple. Slow Speed Syne Flash ‘A normal flash picture of a subject against a dark background will show the background as very dark. Slow shutter speed sync flash will somewhat. brighten the background for a balanced photograph. Continuous Flash Photography {In the manual L mode, fresh NiCd batteries will last for 40 continuous flash photographs at 1.8. frames per second, 18 Open Flash Photography When using an “open flash,” with the shutter left ‘open at the B setting, fire the flash with the TEST button. Remember to disconnect the flash from the camera body. Diffused Flash Photography In addition to bounce flash, diffused flash also softens pictures. Cover the flash head with a white handkerchief or piece of paper to diffuse the flash fight. This is a valuable technique for close distance TTL flash,AF SPOTBEAM SFX/SF1 has a built-in spotbeam projector reaching up to 4 meters for focusing in the dark. AF240FT, on the other hand, has @ more powerful near-infrared spotbeam projector reaching up to 6 meters. This spotbeam projector operates in the AF SINGLE mode. With the AF240FT power switch turned on SB, You can use the camera exclusively as a spotbeam ‘model for dim light environment, When using the flash in dark spots, the spotbeam will automatically fire depending upon the lighting, when the pilot light is on.Pray oar rg? aia Using SFX/SF1 + AF240FT as a Spotbeam Model 1, Turn the AF240FT switch to SB. The power- OK amp will be on. 2, Set the SFX/SF1's focus mode lever to AF SINGLE. 3. Lightly press the shutter release. As soon as the in-focus signal [ © } inside the viewfinder is ‘on, you are ready to start shooting. If them « mark stays on for several seconds, it indicates that the subject cannot be correctly focused. In this case, you have to manually focus the lens. ¢ When changing your scene to be photographed, naturally you have to re-press the shutter release for auto-focusing. ‘¢ When using the AF240F T Spotbeam, the AF ‘Spotbeam on the camera will not work. ‘© The Spotbeam will work accurately only when the flash is mounted onto the camera's hat shoe. 2SPECIFICATIONS Type: Guide number: Flash duration (at 1/2 peak): Flash frequency & Recycle time (at H discharge): Continuous discharg Flash-coverage angles: Color standard: ‘Auto coupling range: SFX/SF 1-dedicated funetions: Auto power-off: Power quick-on: 22 Clip-on type, serial-controlled, TTL-Auto electronic flash ‘Two switchable steps of H and L H24—L6 (ISO 100, m) Hag 12 (ISO.400, m) About 1/2000 sec. at Manual H discharge; about 1/20000 sec. at Manual L discharge; about 1/30000 sec. at Auto shortest discharge Power source Recycle time | Flash frequency Alkaline batteries About 4 sec. ‘About 300 ‘Manganese batteries ‘About 8 sec. ‘About 80 Ni-Cd batteries ‘About 3 sec. ‘About 120 (according to our own test conditions) No less than 40 flashes in L mode at 1.8 fps., with full-charged Ni-Cd batt About 45° (vertical) and about 60° (horizontal); equivalent to the angle of view of 35mm-format 35mm wide-angle lens Daylight color 0.7 — 4.3 meters (GN 24, ISO 100, #/5.6) Flash-ready indication, finder auto check, auto shutter-speed change, slow shutter speed syne flash/trailing curtain sync flash signals, AF spotbeam signal Automatic turn-off after 5 minutes of switch-on Slight pressure on shutter button after auto turn-off (with SEX/SF1) iesPower source: ns & weight: Standard accessory: Optional accessories: Four AAsize batteries (alkaline, manganese or Ni-Cd) 72(W) x 114(H) x.74(D) mm; 210 grams less batteries Case Wide-angle adapter (FWB), telephoto adapter (FT) 23HOW TO USE WIDE-ANGLE & TELEPHOTO ADAPTERS Pr rere Deere sae ce cr) re an ie Wide-angle adapter (FWB) (Guide number H17 L4.2 ISO 100, m) Telephoto adapter (FT) (Guide number H34 L8.5 ISO 100, m) 24 ‘To mount these adapters on the flash unit, just slide them into the adapter grooves on both sides of the flash head. The wide-angle adapter makes the flash illumination wider, and enables you to tse a wide-angle lens up to 28mm with this flash, The telephoto adapter makes the illumination concentrate and intensify effectively enough to cover the photographable distance of telephoto lenses from 85mm to 200mm. Using in TTL Auto Flash mode To determine the photographable distance according to the aperture chosen, align the ISO ‘umber of the film in use with the white index (W = Wide-angle, T = Telephoto} of the adapter in Use, as shown at left. For example, when the FW8 is used, you can shoot up to 3 meters with ISO 100 film and the aperture set at £/5.6. (The minimum photographable distance can approximately be obtained by dividing the maximum photographable distance by 6.) Using in Manual mode Just a5 you use the TTL Auto mode, align the ISO ‘umber of the film in use with the index of the adapter (W or T) in use.Telephoto adapter FT cad ens Ps ‘Wide-angle adopter FWB 25HOT-SHOE ADAPTER F AND SYNC CORD F When using the AF240FT away from the SEX/ SF1, you should use both of these accessories in combination. Furthermore, when using the AFOBOC Ring-Lite flash, mount the hot-shoe adapter onto the camera's hot shoe, and then. mount the control pack. '# Do not mount the flash onto the hot shoe fixed atop the SFX/SF1; for it will not be steady. Use the flash away from the camera,PHOTOGRAPHABLE DISTANCE RANGE TABLE (TTL-coupled range) $0100) Aperture | 0.7 0 ie elm FA Fia F2 F28 Fa F5.6 F6 Fit Fite F2 ‘© When the minimum photographable distance is ‘¢ When ISO 400 film is used, each distance in less than 0.7 m, the flash will not properly the table above is doubled. For example, when illuminate the subject. So use the flash away from the aperture is £/4, the distance becomes about 2 — ‘the camera, using the hot-shoe adapter F and the 12 m-When ISO 25 film is used, the distances syne cord F. are halved. 27OPERATIONAL PRECAUTIONS. ‘* When using AF240FT detached from the camera body, do not try to attach any metallic object 10 the electric contacts or to mount any incompatible ‘accessories. You may damage the TTL auto mechanism. USE ONLY COMPATIBLE PENTAX ACCESSORIES, © There are high-voltage circuits inside the flash unit. IT'S DANGEROUS. NEVER TRY TO DISASSEMBLE THE UNIT, # For smooth mounting/unmounting of the flash, hold the lower portion of the flash body, not the top part, and do not use force. ‘# When the flash unit or other accessories are dirty, clean it with a silicone cloth or a soft cloth, Do not use thinner oil, alcohol and ether. * Keep the equipment away from vibration, high temperature and humidity. ‘* When close to the flash unit, do not look at the flash directly. 28RED-EYE PHENOMENON: In flash color photographs, people's eyes some- times look red, and white in black-and-white pictures. This tends to happen when a person in a dark spot is looking directly at the flash. This ‘depends upon the shooting distance, color of the eyes and the person's age. It is also believed. that when the eye's iris is open, the blood vessels of the retina tend to reflect. To avoid this red-eye phenomenon, try the following: 1. Lighten the place, or change the place, so that there will be enough light for reading a news- paper. In such an ambient light, the iris will close down. 2. Ask the person (to be photographed) to look not directly at the flash unit but outside of the flash. 3. Before shooting, ask the subject to look at ‘a bright spot to keep his iris close down. 4. This phenomenon rarely happens |AF240T, since its flash lamp has some distance away from the camera's taking lens. 2958956 en ‘Lani Optical Co. Ltd. P.O 895, Tokyo 100.91, JAPAN Pentax Europe ric Weveidiaan 5, 1850 Zaventem Zur 7, BELGIUM Pentax Handelogesellachaft mbH Postiach $4 D169, 2000 Hamburg Sa, WEST GERMANY Benlax U.K. Limited Pentax House. South Mil Avenue, South Maliow; theless HR UK. Pentax France S.A ZI. Argenteui, 12, Fue Ambrowe-Croval, SID Algeatent TONG Pentax (Schweiz) AG incustiictrase 2 8005 Oreinon ots Sil SEARS Pentax Scandinavie AB Box 650, S751 27 Uppaala, SWEDEN entax Nederland Sproveld 25, 4015 HA Grads. THE NETHERLANDS Pentax Norge A'S. Cecile Thovesons VEI, Lambertseter, 1101 Oso 4, NORWAY. Pentax Corporation 35 Inverness Orne East Englewood, Calorade Bie Gn Pentax Canada tne. 3131 Universal Drive, Misisnuga, Ontare Lak ste, GARG ‘Asahi Optical Grate in. © Com. Lids, Rua Capito Antonio Rosa S76, Sla 11 Ed. PBK, Sto Paulo, BRASIL 2 8 Printed in Jepen